Streamside on Line
Volume 10 |
The
Quarterly On Line Newsletter |
Fall |
In this issue:
Articles, news and fly tying tips are gratefully accepted. Please e-mail them to Roy Cubbler. Thank you.
| Is Interest in Fly Fishing Sagging? |
According to an article in a recent edition of the Lancaster New Era, interest in fly fishing is declining at a pretty rapid clip. Columnist Ad Crable, author of “Outdoor Trails,” contends that our sport “lacks a healthy infusion of fresh blood and is developing into a coterie of aging anglers who have no one to pass their skills and wisdom on to.” Crable and those he interviewed, contend that after the movie, A River Runs Through It, in 1992, there was a great deal of interest generated in fly fishing. One effect that the movie had was, “People were under the impression that all you had to do was buy a rod and go to a ‘crick’ and catch fish.” For the most part, they feel that many people ran out, and bought top-of-the-line fishing gear and slogged out to the local stream and began casting flies in all directions. But, since those “Yuppies” expect instant gratification in everything they try, their interest did not last. Experienced fly fishers know that if one is looking for a quick way to achieve satisfaction, fly fishing may not be the best choice of hobbies.
Crable suggests that high gas prices and the economy may also be having an effect, but many stores that stock flies and fly fishing equipment report a definite drop off in interest and thus, customers are not lining up to buy their wares. He also reports that some fly fishing clubs are having trouble attracting new members. Leaders of some clubs report that they have difficulty getting members to participate in stream improvement projects. More proof of the columnist’s theory is provided by a gentleman who runs a local fly-tying class. It wasn’t long ago that he had to turn youngsters away because the class filled up so quickly. Now, the fly-tyer reports that the numbers are down, and the kids who show up are not interested in practicing the art. He feels there are too many other things vying for any free time that young people have. Other interests include things such as video games, television, and skate boarding.
Crable is not content just to point out the problem. He mentions a few programs which may improve the situation. Some Lancaster based sports shops are offering beginning fly fishing and fly tying classes. One store is offering a fly-fishing show with fly casting, tying, local trout clubs, and more. The Boy Scouts of America have a fishing merit badge, and fly fishers who are willing to work with young people may want to get involved in those programs as well. Dame Juliana’s own one-day fly fishing course has had great success in introducing neophytes to the joys of fly fishing. One Lancaster sportsman made another suggestion that may have merit as well: “Maybe it’s time for another movie.”
| Notes from the Tying Bench (Bob Molzahn) |
It is either too little rain or too much rain, and this year it has been on the weekends making it hard to get away for that well deserved fishing trip. It is hard to believe that I have not fished the Susquehanna the past two years because of high water. The fish may be enjoying it but I’m sure not.
Some of you may have read in the Daily Local about the plans to repair Sheeder Mill Bridge which is in the middle of the Delayed Harvest Fly Fishing only Area on French Creek. The good news is that the iron bridge, the oldest in Chester County, will be refurbished and not replaced. The bad news is that PA DOT is planning to install a 100-foot timber guardrail north and south of the bridge on both sides. According to the plans I have seen it appears that the parking spots along the existing fence line north of the bridge may be eliminated, forcing fishermen to park up the hill on the south side. In addition, the work is set to start in March 2005 and will take about six months to complete. This coincides with the first trout stocking of French Creek in mid-March. Access to fly fishers under and around the bridge during the construction period will probably be difficult at best and impossible at worst. It is my understanding that PA DOT has been inflexible in changing their plans on other projects. I guess we will have to see how this plays out. I will keep everyone on the DJL email list informed as the project moves forward.
John Hoekstra and the Green Valleys Association are spearheading an effort to obtain Exceptional Value status for the Pickering Creek. My job will be to put together the recreation section of the application. Pickering Creek appears to be a very healthy stream and prospects are good that EV status will eventually be obtained. EV status for the lower section of French creek from Route 100 to the Kennedy Bridge has a few more hurdles to jump but I understand it is essentially a done deal. The EV designation provides the stream with the highest level of protection in the event a local development project is initiated and the projects environmental impacts are evaluated.
I would like to thank everyone who helped out taking parking donations at the Kimberton Fair in July. I did have a list of these folks somewhere but, for the life of me, I can’t find it. Anyway, DJL’s participation in this event allows us to use our meeting room at no cost, saving us several hundred dollars a year. Thanks again guys, I am sure we will be doing it next year too!
Our fall meeting season will be starting soon and I am looking forward to it. We have some great speakers lined up and I hope you can join us. In the meantime, tight lines….
Bob Molzahn
| Rod Rohbach's Fly Recipes |
Rod Rohrbach provides a column to the Pottstown Mercury entitled “On the Fly.” Many of you who subscribe to that newspaper have probably read the column, but for those who do not subscribe, Rohrbach recently provided fly tyers with the recipe for two flies which he saw being used very successfully by a fisher on the Little Lehigh. He watched the individual on several occasions and the caster was often rewarded with a catch. Rohrbach suggests that the “flymph” be cast upstream, followed by a dead drift and an occasional twitch. He reports that often the trout will hit it on the swing. It is worth a try even in discolored water.
The first is dressed as follows: Hook: #12 3906; Thread: orange; Tail: Partridge (split); Ribbing: gold wire; Dubbing: mixed hares ear and red fox fur; Hackle: coachman brown. 1 ½ turns.
Tie the second as follows: Hook: #12 3906; Thread: orange or black; Tail; black marabou; Dubbing: black rabbit; Hackle: coachman brown. 1 ½ turns.
| Stream Improvement 2004 (Larry Heimes) |
It’s that time again, to report on the progress of our stream improvement program and to give you all a preview of what’s to come next year. First, however, I would like to thank those that came out for this summer’s workdays, Lance Morien and Joe King. With their time and effort, we were able to place all of the Christmas trees donated last January by Colonial Gardens Nursery. The trees were used in the upper end of the FFO section to reinforce one existing brush deflector and install two additional deflectors. The existing deflector was originally installed in 2001 and has trapped a large amount of sediment over the past three years. The added deflectors will help trap additional sediment, and over time help to develop a deeper channel in mid-stream.
The plan for next year is to obtain a GP-3 permit to stabilize about 50 yards of stream bank on the south side of the stream in the upper FFO section. This particular area has been severely eroded over the last 5 – 10 years and is in dire need of stabilization. Because this area has limited access, we will plan on utilizing stone from the stream to reinforce the bank and develop the proper slope to prevent further erosion. This also means that we will need a good volunteer turnout for our scheduled workdays as we will need to move an estimated 15 – 20 tons of stone to properly stabilize the bank. We will also be doing ongoing maintenance to our existing structures to ensure that they are in good condition.
I would like to again mention that I am looking for help with running our stream improvement program. I can be contacted via e-mail at waltmich@erols.com or simply stop me at the next meeting and we can discuss the requirements.
Larry Heimes
| Snaky Stranger Sneaks into State's Streams |
The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission recently reported that an unusual and pervasive interloper has invaded some of the Keystone State’s waterways. The Northern Snakehead, an exotic import from Asia, has probably made its way into the Schuylkill River, and two have been caught in Meadow Lake near Philadelphia. The fish is one of those you have read about which can “walk” over short distances on land, and it can breathe out of water for a number of days. The fish does not present any real threat to health or safety, but is does pose a real concern that, as a predator, it will compete with other more established Pennsylvania fish for food and habitat. The Snakehead can reach 33 inches, and feeds on frogs, fish, and other aquatic animals. Introduction of such a predator often sets off a chain reaction in the ecology of a waterway, and there is no way to tell what the final effect will be.
The fish has a torpedo-shaped body, a long dorsal fin without spines, and has a flattened, snake-shaped head with a protruding lower jaw. Anglers who catch such a fish are asked to kill it. “If you just toss it up on the bank, it is going to crawl back into the water,” said Dan Tredinnick, press secretary for the Fish and Boat Commission. It is illegal to introduce, import, transport, sell, barter, or purchase live Snakeheads in Pennsylvania.
| Lefty Kreh Speaks at Stroud Water Research Center |
On Thursday, June 17, Stroud Water Research Center hosted a talk by Lefty Kreh with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres at their center near Avondale. About 70 people, half of whom were members of the White Clay Fly Fishers, were present to hear this venerable old timer narrate his trays of slides depicting the reasons we fly fish. The pictures of the fish were predictable, and covered the range from the six-inch brook trout to the large tarpon, but are only part of the reasons we’re drawn to this activity. There is the friendship, with shots of George Harvey, Joe Humphreys, and others; cute children catching their first fish and their proud parents, astounding scenery here and abroad, the fly tying, and the oddities – a streamer hooked nicely through an ear. Lots of slides, but shown quickly and accompanied by humorous anecdotes, made for an evening I wished could go on just a bit longer.
But Lefty also spoke on the principles and techniques of good fly casting. These are not different from what he has written in his books and shown on his videos, but still are worth repeating here, since it seems the basics often get shaved and modified and need to be relearned to keep us from straying too far from the right way of doing things.
Regardless of the individual’s casting style, all fly casters are governed by the following four principles:
1. You must first move the fly line end before you can make a back or forward cast. This causes the rod to bend or load, storing energy. It is also good fishing technique to lift all line from the surface before making a backcast.
2. Once the line is moving, the only way to load the rod is to move the casting hand at an ever-increasing speed and then bring it to a sudden stop. The faster you accelerate and rod hand and then the faster you speed up and stop the rod tip, the faster the line will travel. The size of the loop is determined by the distance the rod moves in the final moment of the cast during the speed up and stop.
3. The line will go in the direction the rod tip speeds up and stops. If on the backcast the rod tip stops at any angle going up (or rising), the line will go straight in the direction the tip is stopped. If the rod tip stops going down and back, then sag is produced in the line which must be removed before a forward cast can be made. With almost all forward casts the rod tip should stop in a direction either parallel to or slightly climbing above the surface.
4. The longer the distance the rod travels on the back and forward casting strokes, the less effort is required to make the cast. The shorter the rod moved through a casting stroke the harder you must work to put the same load in the rod. When you need to cast farther, throw heavier flies, defeat the wind or make a number of special casts (even when trout fishing), the rod must travel farther back and forward. Being able to take the rod well behind you on the backcast will allow you to make many different casts and produce more fish for you.
Aids to better fly casting:
1. If you are right handed, the right foot should be positioned to the rear and the left foot slightly forward. Lefthanders should do the reverse. This allows the arm to easily move back and forth.
2. Before you begin the backcast, the thumb should be positioned behind the rod handle from the target. The hand should not be twisted throughout the backcast. This accomplishes two things:
a) Energy in the cast is better transmitted back and forward.
b) Accuracy improves.
3. The elbow should not be elevated on the cast. Imagine walking up to a shelf that is as high as your elbow. Place your elbow on the shelf. Think that during the entire cast the elbow should remain in contact with the shelf. The angle of the backcast is determined by the angle that the rod hand stops, but the elbow should not be elevated or lifted from the shelf.
A TIP: To tighten your loop, imagine you are throwing the fly line at the end of your rod – attempting to strike the tip with the line. If you are ducking the tip away from the oncoming line, your loop widens.
| The Big One |
A few who fished that section of the stream had seen the Big Trout. Some had caught a glimpse of him as he darted back to the protection of the old tree roots which he thought of as his base, and from which he observed and ruled his pond. Others, while fishing downstream, had glanced up in time to see him rise high out of the water to snap up a mayfly. But to most who fished there, he was known by reputation only. Word passed from one fisher to another: “He’s big, that’s all I can say.” “He comes out from under those roots in the morning, and that’s it.” “There hasn’t been a fish caught in this stream in ten years that can compare to this baby.” He was becoming a legend, if legends can be made during a single trout season. They always tried their luck at his pond. Flies, minnows, spinners and night crawlers were offered up to this god, to no avail. Many of the lures and hooks ended up hopelessly snagged and lost among the tangle of roots and flotsam that had drifted in, only to be captured and held by the fallen tree. He seemed to sense which morsels were offered by nature, and which were attached to tippet. Each who cast a line toward his lair did so in hopes that he would be the one to outfox the wise old trout, and each left feeling humbled by failure. He was there, he was fat and beautiful, he was a wall-hanger for sure, and he was smart. Perhaps he had gained wisdom from having been caught before, when he was much smaller, and the successful angler had released him to fight another day. Perhaps he was simply too skittery to take anything that looked even remotely suspicious. Perhaps he was just too smart to be fooled by mere mortal. In any case, sportsmen cast in his direction every chance they got, but none were able to bring him to net.
The big trout came out of his hiding place, briefly. His stream mates were enjoying a feast of midges. He moved slowly toward his feeding lie. Other fish moved away quickly as he finned by, many having felt his wrath before for not giving way fast enough. He settled into his spot and scanned the surface. A stonefly was working to break through the surface tension of the stream. The Big Trout made up his mind in a nanosecond. He moved forward and up with such speed that the insect was gone before the meaning of the surface dimple could be interpreted by the fisherman who had been watching the stream from his hidden vantage point. The angler had not cast his line once in the fifteen or twenty minutes that he had watched the pond. For a while he saw nothing unusual, but then, almost like popcorn in a microwave, the rises began, slowly at first, with a splash here, a leap there. But the action kept building and gaining speed, until now, before one fish had come out of the water and back, another was rising. The fisherman, without revealing his presence, kept watching, trying to determine what he had in his fly box which would match up with the insects these fish were taking. He was also watching to see if the Big Trout was feeding, but so far those he had seen did not measure up to the Big One he had seen often in this pool. The angler was a frequent visitor to this spot, and he had lost many of his sure-fire flies among the tree roots that the Big One called home. Suddenly he saw it. The fish came crashing through the surface of the pond. Higher and higher, until finally the fish’s upward motion seemed to pause, and the fish hung motionless as if part of a naturalist’s painting. Then his body arched in mid-air as he began his descent. He hit the water and sucked in the insect in a single action.
Upon returning to his depth, he wriggled backward into his lie to wait for the next meal. His spot on the feeding line was a good one, and he did not have to move more than six or eight inches to either side to snap off whatever edible tidbit happened by. He simply looked upstream, watching and evaluating. He had not seen the fisherman, and thus was slightly less cautious. When he knew a fisherman was on the stream, he would watch the food morsel approach from a greater distance, thus giving him more time to evaluate and react, but now he had not seen the fisherman. What he saw was exactly what he was waiting for. The Big Trout sighted the insect when it was fully three yards upstream. A quick instinctive calculation told him that the struggling bug would pass directly overhead. Like a submarine skipper determining the course and timing of his torpedo to intersect the path of an enemy ship, the Big Trout planned and started his forward and upward charge. As he moved up, his primitive brain received and evaluated a constant flow of information, and the evaluation told him
that this was indeed an edible ort, not some fisherman’s lure. He saw no nylon tippet attached, and no hook hidden within. In that instant he hit the surface tension and plowed through it. As he broke the surface, he gulped the bug and twisted downward to begin his return. The Big Trout hit the water, and he knew at once that the insect did not feel right in his mouth. He felt the nylon whip across his body, and his head was suddenly jerked toward down current. While trying to shake loose from this thing that was controlling him, he saw the fisherman. He turned upstream again and tried desperately to put distance between himself and the man. He was tiring, but he continued to struggle, leaping and twisting. He knew that safety was waiting among the tree roots, but he could not get there. He was being steadily pulled back toward
the angler. He was too tired now, he gave his head one last toss, and then the net closed over him and it was over. Another, smaller trout moved in among the tree roots and surveyed his new kingdom, and the natural scheme of things continued on, hardly changed at all.
| Book Review: Flick's New Streamside Guide |
I have an old, hard cover copy of Art Flick’s New Streamside Guide to Naturals and Their Imitations. It is a 1969 edition, and it cost $4.95 when it was new. Its cover is torn and worn, and it has penciled notes and underlines throughout. I refer to it nearly every time I go out on a stream, because I am still trying my darnedest to get a handle on all of the insects I observe while I am fishing. An entomologist I’m not. I wondered recently whether the book is still in print, and it certainly is, selling today for quite a bit more than $4.95. I am fairly certain that every fly tyer has a copy of this important little book, but for those of you who do not have it, I recommend it with enthusiasm. Even if you do not tie your own flies, but rely on the kindness of those who do to give you a few, and you buy the rest which are produced by some guy in Asia, this book is useful in identifying those insects that you find on the water, under the water, or just buzzing around your head when you are trying to cast. The author identifies the principle May flies and nymphs, and explains their traits. He also presents a pretty good guide on when they will be hatching (not only the season of the year, but the time of day). Flick spends lots of time on tying and on the care of flies. He seems to specialize in May flies and their variations, but he also presents a brief discussion on terrestrials and “minutia.” Some of the photos in my edition are in vivid color, and some are in black and white, but all allow you to identify the insect about which you are curious. Mr. Flick throws in some very entertaining stories about fishing episodes experienced by both him and his friends.
If you are (or are thinking about becoming) an amateur entomologist, the author provides an incredible amount of information on the life cycles of the Mayfly and their appeal to trout. As a matter of fact, an entire chapter is devoted to the selectivity of trout. Further, he explains that not every species of Mayfly is found on every type of stream. He covers in clear terms what species prefer what kind of stream.
Again, to those who have been fishing for years, or who have mastered the art of fly tying, this book is probably very familiar. I am including it here for those of us who rate our fishing skills at step one or two. I found a 1988 soft cover edition advertised by an on-line bookshop for $22.95, which says something about inflation, I suppose. I do not know if there is a more recent edition, but the book is a must have for you, and I am sure would make a fine gift for your fisher relatives and friends.
| Cicada... Brood X (Bob Molzahn) |
2004 was the year of reckoning. The year that Cicadas (Brood X) would be emerging from their 17 year hiatus underground, emerging into the trees and becoming the terrestrial eating treat that makes a 32 oz. T-Bone look like the main course to hungry trout.
Living in southeastern Pennsylvania, I was waiting for the Cicada’s shrill call with baited breath at my home during May and June but nothing happened. There were a few locations where these critters nearby that did their thing but their presence was very local and not near trout streams. Oh well…
The Gunpowder River, (in Baltimore County, Md.) is a stream I have fished for hundreds of days over ten years, intrigued me. After I searched (www.backwaterangler.com), I found out that the Gun was a prime location and seemed to be one of the epicenters for this most unusual hatch.
Joe King (he is the guy that wins all the raffles at our annual banquet) and I ventured out in early June and found out that was exactly the case. These Cicadas were all over the place. In fact, they seemed to think I was a tree that needed to be landed on. Bugs are great…but those big guys make you squirm when they land on you and crawl up your neck. That first day, Joe figured out the secret and used a pattern that he invented back when he, I and Shel Toombs fished the White River in the Bob Marshall Wilderness. His pattern turned out to be a good choice when others are using the local store bought variety.
Joe King, a great fly fisherman, also found an important secret and that was to fish upstream…not across. Blitz the water with shotgun casts upstream and let them take it. On the same day, I used the store bought variety and fished it across and down…a big mistake. They didn’t want anything to do with it. That first day, Joe had two for every one I caught (he ended up with two dozen beautiful wild brown trout).
This story is not over…
Unlike Joe (at least until he retires), I have the occasional luxury of fishing during the week. I couldn’t resist…I made my way back down to the Gun on four times over the next few weeks. I also created a big ugly, foam rubber Cicada that represented what I thought was happening on-stream. I observed that the Cicadas, when landing in the water, would usually do it with wings spread out. I tried to replicate this critter and produced the Ugly X. I also adopted Joe’s style of fishing which was to fish upstream and moving...not staying in one spot except for a few casts. It was a killer strategy and paid off big time. Over the course of the “hatch” I had hundreds of takes, misses, lost fish and landed almost 150 trout up to 14 inches over five days of fishing. The trout were all over the river…in shallow riffles…in deep water...next to the banks. It was an incredible experience, and the action of hits, takes, losses and landings was nothing like I have ever seen before…anywhere! All this happened within a quarter mile upstream and downstream from Masemore Road.
Most importantly, after several years of very low water and tough conditions the Gunpowder’s wild brown trout are certainly back in force. The only downside was that I did not see much caddis or sulfur activity during this period. I wonder how the problems in the past of macroinvertebrate activity as a food source will play out in the future. Nevertheless, I am looking forward to going back to the Gun sometime soon and the familiar haunts of a wonderful wild brown trout stream.
| Suggestions for Novice Fly Fishers |
The lead article in this issue of Streamside is about the possible decline in interest among young people in the sport of fly fishing. It is true that when some think of fly fishing, they picture an older man standing in a stream exhibiting perfect form as he offers his handmade lure to a lunker trout secreted just below the surface of the stream. They see fly fishing as a very complicated way to do what other fishers do simply by affixing a worm to a hook and throwing the line in the water. In truth, fly fishing is the most rewarding angling experience that a person can have.
One of the beauties of fly fishing is that it is easy for a novice to master, yet difficult enough to challenge even the most experienced angler. No matter what your skill is, whether novice or master, you will discover the effort to be most satisfying. Fly fishing is rewarding, relaxing, interesting, challenging, and enjoyable. You can be enjoying the solitude of a wooded stream or the camaraderie of being with similar minded friends.
If you have ever felt the urge to give the sport a try, here are some suggestions on how to get started:
1. Attend a few meetings of an active fly fishing club (such as Dame Juliana League).
2. Find a professional instructor or experienced friend to explain the basics and work on your technique (Dame Juliana League offers a one- day course each spring).
3. Practice your casting skills often, and you can do this in your back yard.
4. Obtain books, magazine and/or videos on fly fishing, casting, knot tying, and techniques (Dame Julian has an extensive video library).
5. Visit French Creek Outfitters, or other fly shops and have the salesperson explain the use and importance of a variety of tackle.
6. Learn about your local waterways.
7. Be patient and give the sport a chance to provide the satisfaction you seek.
| Spotlight is on Bob Molzahn |
Bob Molzahn has been the President of the Dame Juliana League for six or eight years, but as he says, “Who’s counting.” Bob joined the organ-ization in 1990 and credits his dad with introducing him to fishing when Bob was quite young. He lists a week at a Catskills based conservation camp for teens as the motivation for his aiming for a career in environmental work. Bob is a 1971 grad of Cornell University where he majored in Fisheries Science. At Cornell, he worked at the University’s fisheries research stations and became an expert at telling a fish’s age by reading its scales. Currently, Bob is employed by the Riverfront Development Corporation where he serves as project manager for the Russell W. Peterson Urban Wildlife Refuge and Visitor Center. He also serves as president of the Water Resources Association of the Delaware River Basin.
Bob lives in West Pikeland Township with his wife, Denise, and their two children Suzanne (11) and Matthew (6). Bob reports that they are both great fishers. He enjoys many kinds of fishing, but prefers that which allows him to use the old fly rod. He is very active in a number of environmental and sports organizations. He enjoys time spent with his family, especially when they are all together on vacation doing family things.
Bob’s goals for DJL are certainly in keeping with the major thrust of this issue: He wants to involve members in the task of making a difference, specifically, teaching kids about fishing, and about the tremendous experiences that a youngster can have with mom/dad which will last a lifetime.